“Glaringly obvious” incompetence on display as judge tells jury to “disregard everything Ms. Habba just said”

Trump lawyer Alina Habba struggled through her cross-examination of E. Jean Carroll on Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is overseeing the defamation case against the former president, repeatedly admonished the attorney for running afoul of his court rules and general procedures.

Prior to Carroll’s testimony, Habba requested an adjournment so that Trump could attend his mother-in-law’s funeral.

“The application is denied. I will hear no further argument on it. None. Do you understand that word? None. Please sit down,” Kaplan, a Bill Clinton appointee, told Habba about the motion that he already denied.

Kaplan repeatedly interrupted Habba’s questions, including when she began to read from a document that had not been formally entered into evidence, sending the trial to a recess.

  • Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
    39·
    10 months ago

    Trump is operating the same way. He practically begged the judge to throw him out of the courtroom. He got away with it because the judge understands exactly what Trump is doing.

    The judge and Trump literally had an exchange in court the other day confirming what you are saying.

    "Mr. Trump, I hope I don’t have to consider excluding you from the trial.”

    Trump threw his hands up in response.

    “I understand you’re probably eager for me to do that,” Kaplan said.

    Reporters in the courtroom heard Trump say, “I would love it.”

    “I know you would,” Kaplan said.

      • Nightwingdragon@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        10 months ago

        The problem is that Trump has successfully turned any form of accountability into a campaigning and fundraising opportunity. Everybody insisted that his trials would sink his campaign, and they’ve done nothing but bolster it. His court appearances now are little more than glorified campaign rallies. And once Trump realized that not even court proceedings are enough to rattle his base, he has been exploiting that ever since.

        He doesn’t care about the outcome of this or any other trial any more, except for the SC case that would effectively remove him from the ballot. All he cares about is turning the court cases into circuses he can fundraise off of, and stalling for as long as possible until he wins a 2nd term in office and just makes all of it go away (Yes, even the state stuff, because he’d be in a position to say "you’ve made your decision, now let’s see you enforce it.)

        And the thing is, there’s a non-zero chance he very well may get his wish